Iraq: Humanitarian Relief

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have detected any shortcomings in the quantity and effectiveness of humanitarian relief to Iraq; what action they are taking to put right any such shortcomings; and what they are doing to ensure that the occupying powers are fulfilling their humanitarian obligations.

Baroness Amos: Our humanitarian strategy seeks to provide support where there is greatest need. We prepared for a range of contingencies before the conflict. UN agencies have been preparing for months and pre-positioned stocks in the region. We judge that the UN is better prepared for this crisis than it has been for any other in the recent past. We look to the UN to co-ordinate the international humanitarian response. DfID has been monitoring the humanitarian situation very closely and responding flexibly as events unfold.
	Broadly, the humanitarian crisis feared has not emerged. There has not been any substantial movement of people, food and medical supplies have broadly held up, though there is a need to ensure new supplies are available over the coming months. The key concerns have been law and order, and restoring essential public services. Progress has been made on law and order in the south, and progress is now beginning to be made in areas under US control. Water and power services have been restored across large parts of the country. There is still much to be done.
	The coalition military has been providing immediate humanitarian support, in line with obligations under the Geneva Convention and the Hague regulations. Our forces have provided such support with great professionalism. DfID has seconded two humanitarian specialists to work with UK forces and to advise on relief activities—we will be seconding further advisers in the coming days.
	The Office for Reconstruction Humanitarian Affairs (ORHA) is now engaging with the UN, NGOs and local authorities to address humanitarian and immediate rehabilitation needs. For example, it is working with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Iraqi Ministry of Trade to get a food distribution system up and running similar to the Oil for Food programme operation which 16 million Iraqis depended on prior to the conflict. DfID is looking to build up ORHA's capability in key humanitarian areas and to facilitate its work with the UN and other international agencies.
	The UN agencies and ICRC have played a key role. The UN role is growing as international staffs arrive and begin to work in Iraq again. The UK has earmarked £115 million to support the UN, Red Cross/Red Crescent movement and NGOs. DfID has also seconded five specialists to support the UN effort.
	Regular updates on the humanitarian situation—including periodic reviews by sector—are available from our website www.dfid.gov.uk

Poverty: World Bank Data

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they accept the methodology employed by the World Bank to calculate how many of the world's people are living below the poverty line; what independent studies they have made of the advantages and disadvantages of (a) the rich and (b) the poor in developing countries where neo-liberal policies including privatisation, deregulation and reductions in social spending are being given priority; and what was the conclusion of any such studies.

Baroness Amos: DfID uses and quotes the World Bank international absolute poverty figures as its main source of internationally comparable poverty data.
	These estimates are widely recognised and used and form the agreed basis for monitoring progress towards the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of people in the world living on less than 1 dollar per day. We consider them to be the best available, regularly updated, estimates at the current time and believe them to be reasonably accurate given the many constraints in estimating international poverty. However, it is recognised, as with all such estimates, that there are weaknesses in the data, primarily a result of the poor quality and availability of raw data in many developing countries.
	DfID is aware of the importance of improving the data, not least to monitor more effectively progress towards reducing absolute poverty. We are currently supporting the bank's new International Comparisons Programme which will provide a better basis for price comparisons between countries and we expect this to result in large improvements to poverty line data by around 2005.
	DfID works with partner governments to undertake studies of the distributional and poverty impacts of policy choices, with a particular focus on the poor and vulnerable; and to ensure that the findings of these studies are fed into policy processes. The aim of such studies, in particular, poverty and social impact analysis undertaken in advance of policy changes, are to improve the poverty focus of macro-economic and structural policy, and to support country ownership of reforms by informing national debate on reform design and make more explicit the trade-offs between policy choices. Findings from poverty and social impact analysis can be used to assess the appropriateness, timing and sequencing of reforms, and to design complementary and compensatory measures for implementation where appropriate.
	We have commissioned a five-year Development Research Centre on Competition and Regulation, led by the University of Manchester, with research institutions in developing countries. It is investigating the policies needed, in a globalising world, to regulate firms and encourage competition in the interests of the poor. Details of the centre are available at www.idpm.man.ac.uk/crc

EU Aid Budget

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What amount of European Union aid funds is at present not allocated; over what period it will be used; and what is the likely split between continents and between sectors, such as health, education and debt relief.

Baroness Amos: .The EC allocates its aid budget on an annual basis through two channels. The regular budget provides funds for its external actions chapter. The European Development Fund, an extra budgetary instrument, provides assistance to the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries.
	In the first instance the amounts unallocated for 2003 and in the preliminary draft budget (PDB) for 2004 are shown below. These represent the difference between the amounts earmarked for projects and programmes and the ceiling that applies to each budget line.
	
		Amounts unallocated by budget line (£ millions)
		
			  2003 Budget 2004 PDB 
			 External actions 107 167 
		
	
	It is reasonable to expect that the margin of unallocated funds from the 2003 budget will be committed this year in full. The duration of spend will depend on the length of the project or programme and its start date. Commitments will be made through standard budgetary procedures.
	Negotiations over the 2004 budget, which start in May and end in December, will determine the extent of the unallocated margin next year.
	In the case of the EDF, the equivalent of £950 million originally allocated for projects in the following African countries has been withheld for political, security or programming reasons: Comoros, Liberia, Eritrea, Sudan, Haiti, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Burundi, Ivory Coast, Togo, Central African Republic, Zimbabwe, Angola, Madagascar.
	It is not possible to determine what regions or sectors would have been supported by the unallocated budget or EDF funds as they are allocated according to need on a case-by-case basis.

London Congestion Charge: Payment Arrangements in Palace of Westminster

Lord Trefgarne: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Whether there are any facilities available within the Palace of Westminster for cash payment of the congestion charge.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: There is a self-service machine for payment of the congestion charge in the Palace of Westminster, located near the House of Commons' cash machines. A similar machine can be found in the Abingdon Street underground carpark. Both machines allow payment by debit or credit card, but there are no facilities for cash payment within the Palace. Other methods of payment include: online at www.cclondon.com; by telephone on 0845 900 1234; by mobile phone text message, having registered online or by telephone; at a range of petrol stations and retail outlets.

ODPM: Annual Report 2003

Lord Desai: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they plan to publish the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's annual report.

Lord Rooker: On behalf of my right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, I am pleased to present the first annual report of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for 2003 to Parliament. It sets out our achievements since the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was set up on 29 May 2002.
	The aim of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is to achieve thriving, inclusive and sustainable communities. The aim and associated objectives and delivery targets were developed during the spending review 2002. The issues that we deal with affect the lives of everyone and are crucial to building the healthy, prosperous and safe communities we seek.
	During our first year, we have made good progress. A key achievement has been the publication of Sustainable Communities: building for the future—a long-term programme of action, backed by substantial resources of £22 billion, to improve housing and communities across the country. Progress has been made in all our other areas of responsibility: housing, planning, local and regional government, regional policy devolution, neighbourhood renewal and social inclusion. We are also stengthening our capacity to deliver and establish effective working relationships with all our partners.
	We also recognise that many of the problems we seek to tackle are deep rooted and much more remains to be done in the years ahead. We remain focused on delivering thriving, inclusive and sustainable communities in all regions.

Cabinet Office: Departmental Report 2003

Baroness Wilkins: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will publish the Cabinet Office Departmental Report 2003.

Lord Macdonald of Tradeston: I have today laid the Cabinet Office departmental report 2003 before Parliament. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Advanced Sound Ranging Programme

Lord Vivian: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether acceptance trials of the Mark 2 Hostile Artillery Location system (HALO) have been completed; and
	When the installation of the Mark 2 Hostile Artillery Location system (HALO) will begin; and when the process of installation is expected to be completed; and
	What is the anticipated in-service life of the Mark 2 Hostile Artillery Location system (HALO); and how will the cost of this equipment be calculated taking into account annual depreciation and carrying cost.

Lord Bach: The Ministry of Defence's variant of the Mark 2 HALO system, the Advanced Sound Ranging Programme (ASP), has completed all acceptance trials. Integration is complete and the ASP system was deployed in March 2003. It is expected to be in-service until 2017.
	The through-life cost of ownership of the system is calculated from acquisition, in service support, training and manpower costs. Normal accounting conventions are followed to make provision for depreciation and interest on capital.

Military Service: Compensation

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 9th April (WA 40–41), whether people who have served in the armed forces should continue to receive the benefit of the reasonable doubt standard of proof, which permits claimants to receive assistance while research is carried out into the cause of any apparent new medical condition.

Lord Bach: Those who have served in the Armed Forces currently receive compensation under two schemes. Under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, decisions on whether a condition is attributable to service are taken on a balance of probabilities standard of proof. Under the War Pensions Scheme, within seven years of termination of service, the onus is wholly on the Secretary of State to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the disablement was not due to service. Ministers have yet to take a decision on the arrangements for a new compensation scheme but the concerns of the ex-service organisations in this respect are fully understood and will be taken into account.

Baton Rounds

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What changes have been made to the Guidelines on the Rules of Engagement for the use of Baton Rounds by the Armed Forces in Northern Ireland.

Lord Bach: On 23 October 2002, we placed in the Library of the House details of the Guidelines on the Rules of Engagement for the use of Baton Rounds in Northern Ireland. We did this as an exceptional measure aimed at building confidence in Northern Ireland following a request from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
	Since then, a change has been made to the guidelines in the light of a recommendation made by the Independent Assessor of Military Complaints Procedures in his report on the military use of baton rounds in Northern Ireland. This report was placed in the Library of the House in December 2002. As such we are now placing the updated extract in the Library of the House. It is drawn from a more general guidance card and includes all the relevant guidance on the rules of engagement for the use of baton rounds by the Armed Forces in Northern Ireland.

UK State Pensioners Living Abroad

Baroness Greengross: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their latest estimate of the percentage and number of people in receipt of a United Kingdom state pension who live outside the United Kingdom whose state pension is: (a) uprated; and (b) not uprated.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The information relating to the number and percentage of people receiving a UK State Pension who live in Great Britain or overseas is in the table.
	
		
			  Number of people receiving a UK state pension Percentage of total number of people receiving a UK state pension 
			 Recipients of a state pension in Great Britain 10,310,000 92 per cent 
			 Recipients of a state pension living overseas—pension uprated 410,000 4 per cent 
			 Recipients of a state pension living overseas—pension not uprated 490,000 4 per cent 
			 Total recipients of a state pension 11,210,000 100 per cent 
		
	
	Source: September 2002 State Pension Summary of Statistics
	Notes:
	1. Numbers in the table have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 and the percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole per cent.
	2. Figures provided are for Great Britain and overseas only. The DWP only has access to Great Britain and overseas data. The Northern Ireland Office holds Northern Ireland data separately.

UK State Pensioners Living Abroad

Baroness Greengross: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In which of (a) the 10 European Union accession countries; and (b) the 13 other possible European Union member countries, the United Kingdom state pension is not currently uprated; and how many people in receipt of a United Kingdom state pension live in each country.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: Thirteen countries have applied to become new members of the European Union.
	Ten of these countries signed the Treaty of Accession to the European Union in April 2003. They are: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. These acceding countries will not become full members of the European Union until 1 May 2004.
	Bulgaria and Romania are due to sign the Treaty of Accession to the European Union but this is not expected until 2007.
	Turkey is not currently negotiating its membership to the European Union.
	However, agreements that allow for uprating of the UK state pension already exist with Cyprus, Malta, Slovenia and Turkey.
	The numbers of people receiving a State Pension who live in the 13 countries that have applied to become new members of the European Union are shown in the table:
	
		
			 Country Thousands 
			 Bulgaria - 
			 Cyprus 7.1 
			 Czech Republic 0.1(1) 
			 Estonia - 
			 Hungary 0.3(1) 
			 Latvia 0.1(1) 
			 Lithuania 0.1(1) 
			 Malta 2.8 
			 Poland 1.6 
			 Romania - 
			 Slovakia - 
			 Slovenia 0.1(1) 
			 Turkey 0.7 
		
	
	Source: Pensions Strategy Computer System—30 September 2002
	Notes:
	1. Figures are subject to a high degree of sampling variation and should only be used as a guide.
	2. Figures are in thousands and are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	3. The use of a hyphen (-) denotes nil or neglible.

Notification of Deaths

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make arrangements to enable the registrar of deaths to notify agencies of both central and local government of a person's death.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician and Registrar General, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter to Lord Avebury from the Executive Director of the General Register Office on behalf of the National Statistician and Registrar General, dated 16 May 2003.
	The National Statistician and Registrar General has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question concerning arrangements to enable the registrar of deaths to notify agencies of both central and local government of a person's death. I am replying in his absence.[HL2820]
	Registrars currently notify the deaths they register to a number of agencies, including local council tax departments, electoral registration and the health service. They may make notifications only where there is specific statutory provision for them to do so.
	On 22 January 2001, the Government published proposals for modernising civil registration in England and Wales in the White Paper 'Civil Registration: Vital Change', copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. The White Paper proposes that named central and local government agencies be notified of events that have been registered, including deaths, directly from a new central database, rather than from individual registrars.
	It is also proposed that central and local government agencies and some private sector organisations may access registration records with the consent of the person named in the record or their family in some circumstances. In the case of death records, consent would need to be given by the deceased person's next of kin or representative.
	The necessary changes to legislation will be made by means of an Order under the Regulatory Reform Act.

Food Standards Agency: Departmental Report, Spring 2003

Lord Acton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When the Food Standards Agency's departmental report for Spring 2003 will be published.

Baroness Andrews: The Food Standards Agency's departmental report, Spring 2003, was laid before Parliament today. Copies are available in the Library.